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Cecaelia
The Cecaelia are a tribe of merfolk who have earned a questionable reputation among the land dwellers. As enigmatic and untamable as the seas they hail from, and with one of the stranger physiologies of the world, the Cecaelia are often viewed as suspicious, arrogant, or evil. With a fiercely independent nature and nomadic lifestyle, getting to know a Cecaelia personally is challenging, but they have proven themselves to be hard workers and are a boon to any group or settlement they join, no matter how temporary their stay may be. While hailing from the seas, some Cecaelia have integrated into coastal settlements, often selling fish, playing music, or offering to guide sailors traveling through unfamiliar waters. Some have migrated even further inland, following rivers and lakes. History Like the other merfolk, the history of the Cecaelia is all but unknown to scholars of the surface world. Culture & Characteristics Faith The Cecaelia have worshiped the oceanic gods of their fellow merfolk for centuries. However, there have been some that have turned to following the Pattern, which surface scholars and merfolk leaders alike find troubling. Origins Gender roles Aging Cecaelia mature very fast, reaching adulthood by the age of ten. They also age very quickly, with most rarely living longer than seventy years. Government Warfare Languages Naming Cecaelian names are as unique as the individuals who bear them, as they choose their own names upon reaching adulthood. This is considered their true name, and most consist of a single word, often featuring unusual sounds or letter combinations. As it is known they will adopt their true name relatively quickly, families refer to young Cecaelia by very simple pet names that relate to their aquatic environment, such as Wave or Pearl. However, once a Cecaelia takes their true name, addressing them by this pet name is considered extremely rude. Family or clan names do not exist in Cecaelian culture, as the individual is considered just as important as the group, if not more so. They find such practices in other races quite odd. '''Common child names: '''Wave, Pearl, Tooth, Kelp, Stone, Coral, Bone, Tide, Bubble, Net, Shell '''Male true names: '''Aamnesthal, Abrolth, Cerecst, Eamleith, Hassimn, Kouln, Lloros, Mnasth, Nilienn, Nuorica, Sorsasz, Tratheniel '''Female true names: '''Alanral, Caenia, Coulei, Dramnii, Jurira, Lasiei, Quorili, Reoria, Rulithia, Salria, Unya, Ursilae, Yslamni, Zuoriai Technology Cuisine Customs The sea is treacherous and deadly, and every Cecaelia is born with a strong sense of self-reliance that they have used to survive. They are fiercely independent and will always try to complete a task by themselves unless it becomes apparent that they can't do it alone. At this point, they will seek out people they know for help, before approaching strangers as a last resort. If someone offers to help a Cecaelia without provocation or, even worse, tries to help without asking, the Cecaelia will see this as an affront to their abilities to look after themselves and will take personal offense, emphatically arguing that they can complete the task by themselves and requesting, politely or not, to be left alone. This is not to say that the Cecaelia crave isolation, as given enough time and patience, a Cecaelia will form intimate bonds with friends and family. Usually limited to a small group, these connections are of great personal importance and are rarely broken. As a nomadic people, it is very unusual for a Cecaelia to stay in any given place for longer than a few years. The Cecaelia have a desire to always keep moving, and are known to take great pleasure in traveling and seeing all that the world has to offer. They strive to explore and experience as much as they can before their relatively short lives are complete. However, no matter how independent they are, they are not needlessly reckless. An intelligent Cecaelia recognizes when help is needed and will turn to small groups of other merfolk or adventurers to aid them. This is most often how personal bonds are formed, and it is not unexpected for them to stay in touch with previous allies long into old age. Physical appearance Like all merfolk, the Cecaelia have humanoid upper bodies. Their torsoes usually take on muted pinks, blues, and grays. Their gill filaments and eyes stand in stark contrast to their light complexion, being rich blues and blacks, their dark eyes especially adding to their mysterious character. However, the lower body of the Cecaelia is their most striking feature. From the waist down, they are akin to large octopuses, bearing eight long, dexterous tentacles which can both propel them in water and carry them on land. These are often deeper blues, purples, and reds, sometimes with faint circular or wave-like patterns in a darker tone. Some Cecaelia have the ability to alter their coloration, giving them an even greater range of exotic colors and patterns. Category:Merfolk Category:Ethnic groups